Homosexuality laws of the world
The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexual relations between people of the same sex - everything from full same-sex marriage to the death penalty as punishment for homosexual conduct. In addition to laws against the practice of homosexuality, many countries around the world consider calling a person homosexual sufficient grounds for a libel lawsuit. History of homosexuality laws The first recorded laws supposedly against sexual intercourse between men are dated by scholars to circa 550 BC, during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people ; they are recorded in Leviticus (though conservative scholars date Leviticus to be much older) , and they prescribe the death penalty. At the time same-sex relations were incorporated into many pagan religions . Some people believe that this is the ultimate origin of punitive laws targeting homosexual relations. This pattern continued throughout history with punitive laws arising from traditional interpretations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam . With the advent of colonialism this attitude spread along with political control by the imperial powers of the nations with Abrahamic state religion ; however, the fact that homosexuals were legally persecuted in communist China (a country which neither adopted an Abrahamic religion nor was colonized) and that homosexuality in the People's Republic was not decriminalized until 1997"Quiet pink revolution in dark before dawn?" calls the universal application of this theory into at least some question. Often an Abrahamic religion is the primary factor when accounting for a law against homosexuality and the major supporter. Homosexuality laws This is a list of laws around the world concerning homosexuality, and is arranged alphabetically by region. It should be noted that the list should not be assumed to represent a standard for measuring a nation's views, per se. Nations which have retained negative laws may, in practice, be less oppressive than the laws suggest, as the laws are not enforced. Similarly, a country which lacks laws against homosexual behaviour may possess a culture which is openly hostile and thus persecutes individuals by other means. No country has criminalised solely female-female sex; nations either criminalise all forms of homosexual behaviour or just male homosexuality. Homosexual behaviour remains illegal in over 80 countries, including some which even ban heterosexual sodomy. (Note: the understanding of sodomy can include anal sex, oral sex, fornication (i.e. sex outside of marriage) or even any sexual behaviour that does not lead to procreation within marriage. In tables below the age of consent for same sex relationships is the same as for heterosexuals, unless it is otherwise noted. Country names marked "(☆)" feature special "LGBT rights" articles about the country in question. See also * Age of consent (notes where there is a different threshold for same-sex sexual activity vs. opposite-sex sexual activity.) * Buggery * Civil rights movement * Civil union * Equaldex * LGBT adoption * Heterosexism * Homophobia * LGBT rights by country * Religion and homosexuality * Same-sex marriage * Sexual revolution * Socialism and LGBT rights * Sodomy law * Employment Non-Discrimination Act References External links * Maps of LGBT rights around the world, Equaldex * Antidiscrimination Legislation, April 1999, a worldwide summary IGLHRC (pdf) * International LGBT and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) * International Lesbian and LGBT Association * International Lesbian and LGBT Association World Legal Survey (2000) * Sodomy Laws Around the World * State Homophobia, world map, ILGA (2004) * New Internationalist sexual minorities map * Where Having Sex is a Crime: Criminalization and Decriminalization of Homosexual Acts, IGLHRC (2003) * Where You Can Marry: Global Summary of Registered Partnership, Domestic Partnership, and Marriage Laws, IGLHRC (November 2003) * State-sponsored Homophobia, ILGA (April, 2007) ca:Legislació sobre l'homosexualitat en el món cs:Zákony týkající se homosexuality cy:Deddfwriaeth ar gyfunrywioldeb yn ôl gwlad de:Gesetze zur Homosexualität es:Legislación sobre la homosexualidad en el mundo fr:Droits des personnes LGBT dans le monde it:Omosessualità e legge hu:LMBT-törvények listája pt:Direitos dos homossexuais pelo mundo sh:Prava LGBT osoba fi:Homoseksuaalisuus ja laki Category:Civil rights and liberties Category:Legislation Category:Rights by country Category:Sex laws Category:Homosexuality